Once the door started to open I held my breath. There stood Lyall, his eyes boring into mine as he saw that I was his rare visitor to his bungalow.
"Andromeda, we've discussed this…"
I shake my head at him, forcing myself through the front door. He's startled but doesn't try to stop me and I thrust the box into his hands.
"I'm not here to argue with you," I tried to keep my voice calm but I can hear the edge of frustration in my voice. "You didn't go to the ceremony and I understand that, I understand you didn't want to grieve in public but…"
My hands are still holding onto the box that he's now holding. "This is his by right, Lyall…and should be yours."
I let go of his hands, of the box in an attempt to let the older man see sense. Though we had never met until the death of our children, I can already see the change in him, the way he holds himself now as he stares at the box.
"This should be Teddy's, he is their son, and should be his."
"No," I say, shaking my head. "Teddy has enough to own. You are the one with nothing left."
"But it's just a blasted medal…"
"Order of Merlin, First Class…" I knew why he was fighting. Remus should have been alive to accept the medal, so should Dora, but they weren't, we are the ones left to have them. That he would of preferred his boy alive than a medal that would sit idly on the mantelpiece. "Which your son earned in battle…the first of his kind to ever receive one."
Lyall's grip tightened and I became increasingly worried that he was going to cry, I didn't know how I would cope with it. Not all my tears were shed yet…
"Thank you, Andromeda..." Lyall finally said and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're welcome…now, I'm sure at some point this week, you'd like to visit your grandson? He's getting big and could do with visitors who know how to handle children…"
I'd forced a smile out of him, which was good and he nodded. I went to leave, when Lyall stopped me.
"You know…what this means, don't you?" he suddenly asked.
"No?" I replied, blinking. "What does it mean?"
"We'll never be able to eat a chocolate frog again…"
It took a moment for the realisation to sink in, but it did. Of course. I smiled, warmly and it made me wonder if I would be happy or sad if Teddy one morning announced he had received his mother and father as one of his famous witches or wizards cards he collected...
"Never liked them much anyway…not a big fan of chocolate" I told him, and he chuckled. I could see Remus then in the way he smiled gratefully back at me. It was almost the same way Remus had used to watch Dora in the kitchen back at my house - when he thought I wasn't watching. Despite all that pain that it reminded me of it gave me a sense of hope, as I walked away to return to my grandson and his godfather.
After all, Teddy still had a family, and in a sense, so did I.
